Market EH

After we left the shop, Donghae seemed somehow unsettled and when he started counting on his fingers, it suddenly clicked. He must be worried about money. I´m officially his employee but I paid for the accommodation, food and now the equipment. I don´t need fingers to calculate the fact that Donghae can never pay me back. We’ve just started our journey but if I was to go by my usual prices, he would not be able to afford my services in less than five days. So I gave him a discount. I grabbed Donghae´s hand to stop his meaningless worry and pulled him to the streets again.

We arrived to the main street, not wanting to lose the baby again, I squeezed his hand tighter. Making way through the crowds I took him to the market. It was already lunchtime and I was very much hungry by now. All around were stands with various products from clothes to handmade jewellery and shoes. I started sniffing for the good food, making that brat laugh at me again. I could smell ´it´, but I couldn´t pinpoint the precise location since too many smelly humans and animals were confusing me.

"Hey, Hyuk, want to eat that?" Donghae called and pointed at the stall I was looking for.

The discovery made me smile widely and that bastard started laughing yet again! I´m getting worked up so often lately. Not wanting to lash out at him, I pulled us to the stall. Smell of delicious pancakes invading my nostrils, I was high again. I ordered one with salmon for Donghae and with pork for myself, the one with cream and cinnamon to be divided between us. We were sitting on a log eating the delicious treat, but my employer still seemed very depressed, so I decided to tell him the good news.

"If we never find the treasure, I´m not going to ask you to pay me back," Doghae´s head snapped to look at me.

"That´s not right, Hyuk," he said. He used that nickname again, I didn´t care. I was used to being called many different names.

"I´ve already thought this through. You´re the one, who knows the location of the Treasure Island, if we find it, you´ll give me half of the finding, right?" I started my explanation. Donghae nodded.

"But that´s more than the actual cost of my services. So, you give here lots of money extra, just like I´m doing now. Do you understand?" This time it took slightly longer to my companion before he nodded in understanding.

"But we might not find the island and you´ll lose all the money, while if we do find it, none of us will lose anything. You´re the only one in disadvantage here," Donghae unexpectedly smartly reasoned. He´s good at things like these. He has the basic qualifications to become a traveller.

"For that I have a plan too. In case we fail and I lose the money, you have to supply me every year with that awesome strawberry jam!" I looked at him with a winning face while he watched me in shock.

"Like really? You would exchange all that money just for the strawberry jam?" Donghae asked still in disbelief, I vigorously nodded and that ended our conversation.

If only he knew. Only those clothes I bought for myself at Yesung´s cost more than all clothes he wears in a year together. His tiny expenses are nothing compared to mine. I laughed to myself, infecting Donghae who started to laugh with me.

"Let´s go, we need to get ready for tomorrow," I said and got up. Donghae took my hand and we headed back to the tavern.

The next morning, we woke up early because a very challenging journey was ahead of us. I hope Donghae knows what´s coming. We´re starting right under the mountains and we need to cross them, with a very little opportunity to sleep under the roof or even meet something else then just wild animals. I worriedly looked at my cheerful companion who was just hugging Kangin.

"Be careful, Donghae, and don´t worry, this monkey boy will take a good care of you. He may look cool on the outside, but he´s the biggest softie I know," Kangin made sure I hear his every word. So I made sure too.

"Let´s go, Donghae, before this nice guy breaks your bones. It´s his favourite hobby, especially if the guy is three time smaller than him, you know," I said already on the run.

“I told that our fight didn´t count, Eunhyuk, you´re a beast! Wait, Donghae, don´t run! Hey!" I couldn´t hear the rest of his yelling, but I felt satisfied.

When we were far enough from the city, I animalized into a deer and Donghae put on the harness. It was made by Yesung himself with a special fixing, so that I could wear it in my human, deer and wolf form. But instead of getting onto my back, Donghae took a few steps away from me. Is he still afraid? I thought we´re already past this problem.

"Bwahahaha, Yesung was right! You look so cute! God, if you had a red nose, I would say, you just run off from Santa´s herd!" Donghae was now lying on his back, laughing his off.

I quietly went to him, standing above I leaned my head and waited for his eyes to open. When they did, Donghae screamed so loudly, even Kangin must have heard him back in the city. Okay, seems like he´s still scared of deer.

Not so amused Donghae finally climbed on my back and we could set off. I started running towards the mountains. Fog was covering most of them but in the upper parts snow patches could be spotted. I focused back on my way to distract myself from thinking about the difficulties waiting for us there. But Donghae got bored after a while and stopped sulking just to entertain me with his endless talk again. Which I very much appreciated at the moment, honestly.

"Hey, what are you originally?" Donghae asked.

"What do you mean?" I huffed.

"Like what you were born as? As a human or a wolf? Or something else?" His curiosity never fails to amuse me. But running and talking at the same time was too tiring so I resolved to just answer the truth, instead of teasing him.

"Human."

"That´s awesome, Hyukkie, I was worried what to do, if you answered something else. That means you´re just like me. We´re both humans, only that you´re a bit special," Donghae reasoned.

But why does his statement make me so happy?